Lets get it ooonnnnnn! Welcome to Beltane! Or should I just say “Happy Mayday?!”…May in Latin means “Maia – the great one”

Mayday originated in ancient Rome as a way to honor spring fertility rites.
In the Middle Ages the traditions of naming a Queen of May led to colourful processions of pretty girls dancing round a huge phalic maypole, alive with vibrant blooms and lots of streamers! Pretty girls and Maypoles? Brings to mind the roots of poledancing, don’t you think?

Young and old went “A-Maying” (Getting it on to Marvin Gaye in the woods at night) and then the Beltane babes arrived nine months later!
Beltane is the Fire Festival. Full of passion, inspiration and creation. The word originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’. Traditionally bonfires are lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

This May is exceptionally powerful what with the solar eclipse in Taurus on 10th, and the lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on 25th. We had a rehersal with this two weeks ago with the partial eclipse in Scorpio, but now we really are beginning. Eclipses involve the Sun (conscious) and Moon (sub conscious) coming together, heralding awakening – its deep and gradual, and if you want to know more about your process then look at where the eclipse is heralding this in your birthchart.

For instance if you are Taurus or Saittarius you can see this period is likely to very transformative in how you see yourself. But all of us have Sagittarius or Taurus somewhere in our chart, whether it be home, work or some other area.

The only way to really gain more understanding is as always, with hindsight.
Give sometime to review your journey from now at the next solar eclipse back in Scorpio on November 3rd, if you really wish to get iluminated.
Generally speaking there is a lot of energy all year in Taurus and Scorpio, bringing to light deep processes of transformation in order to progress in the world. There is A LOT going on behind the scenes astrologically, and if you feel tired, vulnerable, shaky, do not worry, be gentle with yourself, know its all being taken care of, its all in the mix….

Watch this month’s AstroTarot Youtube Reading for more details on riding the wave this month
Looking closer still Mercury joins the Sun, Mars and Venus in Taurus also on Mayday. Beautiful, sensual passionate words may flow until we get a more logical feel when it moves into Gemini on 21st.
On the 5th this energy is likely to be enhanced by a beautiful flowing energy when Mars trines Pluto, deep, powerful, transformational, but in a grounded sense.
May 7th-8th Mars in Taurus conjuncts Chiron in Pisces, similar to the bull mistaking the blood of Jesus for a red flag. Keep this in mind and don’t enter any China shops!
Venus enters Gemini on 9th heralding a social (but gossipy) time, watch your tounge for the next

month! Great for insightful flashes, but can be a bit fickle, wait to see what lasts. This steps up when Venus squares Uranus in Pisces, when sudden judgments could cause confusion and upsets in close partnerships, if this happens look past the happening into the spiritual lesson, with Uranus in Pisces it should be a big one!

Again May 18th we have a similar enery with a Mercury, Neptune square, if you are confused, unsure of what is going on, best to maybe hold your tounge for a bit, rather than bring others into the confusion, we do also have some lovely conjunctions and sextiles that day, involving Venus, Pluto and Uranus, so perhaps any confusion may only last the day and the night may provide us the right circumstances and calmness.

The Sun enters Gemini on 20th – herading the beginning of a very sociable month ahead, great for gaining knowedge and ideas. But we also have a Uranus/Pluto square that day, clash of the titans! This could last a while as we have Mercury in Gemini squaring Chiron in Pisces for 21st and 22nd, watch those words! Sticks and stones will break my bones, and words will always hurt me.

Over the lunar eclipse on 25th, things start to calm down. We are not so fraught, and bridges are re-built, bigger and stronger than before, as Venus visits Mercury and Jupiter from 24th -27th. This is the time when if you speak from the heart your words will not only heal wounds, but open hearts and minds as well. On 28th Mercury enters Cancer, compounding this caring communication further, but watch for an attachments. With Mars ending the month in Gemini, all that talk may well be turning into some action!